D.C. United snaps Portland Timbers home winning streak

View full sizeJennifer Kesgard, community bloggerThe Portland Timbers met one of the more storied MLS franchises on May 29 at JELD-WEN Field, when D.C. United came visiting. While D.C. has won 4 MLS championships in their tenure, they struggled in 2010 finishing dead last in total points.

Most soccer teams don’t win every match they play. When you have a chance to witness it first hand like watching the 2010 Timbers U-23 and their miracle undefeated championship season, it puts into perspective how difficult it is to win every time.

The Timbers had already entered the MLS record books by winning their first five home matches, and were hoping to extend the streak to six in facing D.C. United, a club struggling for identity with many of its key players missing due to injury. On paper, it appeared the Timbers had a huge advantage, but as we often learn in sports, matches aren’t played on paper. The Timbers U-23 and Reserve teams were also in action at home, giving local soccer fans plenty of chances to see the Timbers up close.

First Team: D.C. United has four MLS championships in their history, but in 2010, they finished dead last in the standings after embarking on a youth movement in their roster. Capitalizing on some improving young talent, there were plenty of expectations for improvement in D.C., but those thoughts have been compromised a bit this season. D.C. United has already participated in three matches where they’ve given up 4 goals, but they’ve scored 3 goals in two wins, so they epitomize a young up and down club. D.C. United had drawn in their last two matches, but in traveling to Portland, knew that some of their big guns wouldn’t be dressing for the match.

Forward Charlie Davies had been dealing with a strained hamstring, fellow forward Josh Wolff had been struggling with a torn groin, and goalkeeper Steve Cronin, a former Timber, would remain at home to be with his expectant wife. Midfielder Dax McCarty, traded to D.C. from Portland in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft, had also been struggling with injuries and would not play either, leaving United with having to piece together a makeshift lineup. What can often happen with teams that must deal with this type of adversity is they overachieve as younger players finally get a chance to show what they can do, or the team falls apart because of the extra pressure. One thing about D.C. United is their fiery coach, former D.C. United player Ben Olsen, wouldn’t let injuries be an excuse for his team.

View full sizeJennifer Kesgard, community bloggerMidfielder Jack Jewsbury converts this second half penalty kick to level the score between the Timbers and D.C. United. Prior to this kick, forward Kenny Cooper had two penalty attempts blocked by D.C. United keeper Bill Hamid, but Hamid was ruled to have left his goal line early which is against the rules.

The Timbers also have been dealing with some knocks as well, and that led Coach John Spencer to make one adjustment to his usual starting lineup. Midfielder Darlington Nagbe has been suffering with a torn abductor muscle, so midfielder Sal Zizzo would make his first start along side the usual midfield of Jack Jewsbury, Kalif Alhassan, and Diego Chará. Troy Perkins would start in goal again, while the backline of Eric Brunner, Futty Danso, Jeremy Hall and Rodney Wallace would play together for one more match before Danso reports for national duty this coming week. Forwards Kenny Cooper and Jorge Perlaza started up top, hoping to regain some of their scoring touch from earlier in the season.

In the Timbers first five home matches, they had always scored first. The magic of JELD-WEN Field was put to an immediate test as the visitors struck first in the 13th minute. D.C. United midfielder Chris Pontius launched a deep throw from the left sideline that forward Blake Brettschneider flicked back towards the Timbers goal. Defender Perry Kitchen attacked the box and before the Timbers could mark him, Kitchen slotted the ball past Perkins to put the visitors on top 1 to 0. A stunned crowd had not dealt with the Timbers being behind at home, and tried to spur the Timbers on. The goal seemed to charge up the United defense, who began using their trademark physical play to their advantage. Center official Geoff Gamble, in charge of his second ever MLS match, seemed to let the sides play in the early going which played into the visitors hands. The Timbers didn’t help things early as their offense seemed to be one pass behind on most runs within the first 30 minutes, and they began to resort to long clearing passes forward to try and free up Cooper or Perlaza to create some chances.

View full sizeKip Kesgard, community blogger.Forward Jorge Perlaza was active against D.C. United, here making a stellar run on goal. His progress was thwarted by a well timed tackle from D.C. United defender Dejan Jakovic

The Timbers thought they had leveled the match just before the halftime break when Cooper got loose with the ball and smashed it by D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid, but side official Craig Lowry ruled he was offside by a half step. The match would go into the break with D.C. United up by one, and the Timbers searching for answers. Gamble also made an extremely curious decision to end the match during stoppage time with the Timbers on the attack at exactly the one minute displayed, which is usually never done if a team is on attack. Maybe it was overconfidence because of their undefeated streak, but the Timbers appeared sluggish and disinterested early, and so it was up to Spencer to light a fire under his charges.

Whatever was said at the halftime break seemed to work because the Timbers put Hamid under duress early and often. The Timbers thought they had the leveling goal again from Cooper, who was the first man to a Jewsbury cross and he headed it past Hamid. Once again, the goal would not stand, as linesman Eric Proctor ruled him just offside, and the Timbers enigmatic forward was again held out of the scoring sheet. Cooper thought his luck had turned in the 60th minute when he was pulled down from behind by D.C. United defender Dejan Jakovic in the Timbers penalty box and the home team was awarded a penalty kick. Much like the match to this point, the Timbers didn’t make anything easy.

Cooper lined up to take the penalty kick and pushed it right and Hamid came up with the save, but Proctor ruled Hamid had left his goaline early and ordered the kick redone. Cooper lined up with his second attempt going left and Hamid made the save again, but Proctor again decreed Hamid had left early before the kick, so the Timbers would get a third chance to score. Spencer ordered Jewsbury to step in and take the penalty kick against Cooper’s objections, but the Timbers captain was finally able to convert the kick to give the home team their first goal. Cooper was subbed out just a few minutes later for forward Ryan Pore, putting a cap on a rather frustrating day for one of the team’s leading scorers.

View full sizeKip Kesgard, community blogger.D.C. United forward Chris Pontius battles here with Timbers midfielder Jack Jewsbury, who seems to be jumping out of the way. Timbers midfielder Sal Zizzo watches the play develop.

Pore made his presence felt immediately, almost scoring on a deep run, but his efforts were blocked by the United defense. The Timbers goal seemed to put a charge in the United offense, and they finally struck again in the 75th minute. Chará was called for an inadvertent handball in the box while sliding over the top of the ball, and Pontius was able to convert the penalty kick on his first try. D.C. would add their third goal on a breakaway in the 85th minute when Wolff, who entered as a substitute forward, got loose on a long run and beat the Timbers defense and Perkins to put United up 3 to 1.

The Timbers didn’t go down quietly, as Perlaza drew the home side back to one goal down just before stoppage time. Hall made a deep throw into the box from the left, and Perlaza was able to tap the ball by Hamid to score his third goal of the 2011 season. Perlaza almost got his second goal just moments later off a counter play, but just missed the goal wide. The Timbers continued to pressure Hamid, but in the end, they couldn’t get the leveling goal and lost their first match at home this season.

View full sizeJennifer Kesgard, community bloggerTimbers midfielder Ryan Pore jumps for the ball in the second half of the Timbers - D.C. United match. Pore was trying to score the team's third goal to tie the score, but the Timbers ended up losing the match 3 to 2.

I liked the insertion of Zizzo into the starting lineup, as again his speed was an asset to the Timbers attack. However, his passes seemed to miss his teammates, as the entire Timbers attack appeared to be off kilter. The normally fluid backline, solid for many matches at home, lost focus at points and really struggled to mark players during certain stretches. While Perlaza broke out of his scoring drought, Cooper’s match was simply nightmarish as he had the two goals waived off in addition to the penalty kick drama. My hopes are that Cooper returns next match with a new resolve and an improved scoring touch. I also felt that the officiating had a direct impact on the result, from the curious decision to end the first half while Portland was attacking to missing D.C. forward Joseph Ngwenya cheating up on a free kick in the first half. I also felt they allowed significant contact that threw the Timbers attack off, and while that’s certainly allowable within the rules, it certainly encouraged the United defense to continue their tactics without being called. However, the loss can simply be pinned on the Timbers, who never matched D.C. United’s passion, physicality, and urgency on the attack. The Timbers will travel to Chivas USA this weekend to face a league match on June 4 before returning home on June 11 to host Colorado.

The win marked the final qualifying match for the Timbers U-23s towards entering the U.S. Open Cup tournament. The Timbers U-23s finished with a record of 3-0-1 in qualification matches and sit in a two-way tie with the Kitsap Pumas through three tie breakers – total wins, goal difference and goals scored – for the Premier Development League’s Northwest Division berth in the tournament. The United Soccer Leagues will conduct a lottery on Tuesday to determine which team advances to the tournament.

Reserve Team: The Timbers Reserve team faced their Cascadia rivals, Seattle Sounders FC, on May 30 in front of approximately 3,400 fans at JELD-WEN Field. Hoping to avenge a 3 to 2 loss earlier this month in Tukwila, WA, the Timbers Reserves played an extremely physical but entertaining match against their rivals.

Unfortunately, the Sounders Reserves scored two late goals to take the win 2 to 0. Sounders midfielder Servando Carrasco converted a free kick in the 77th minute that Timbers goalkeeper Adin Brown couldn’t stop, and fellow midfielder David Estrada beat Brown in the 89th minute on a one on one effort. Timbers forward Eddie Johnson and defender David Horst both hit the woodwork with different shots during the match, but they couldn’t beat Sounders goalkeeper Terry Boss.